The present invention relates to a disc changer to be used for a disc which serves as a data recording medium such as CD (Compact Disc).
Conventionally, as a disc changer to be used for a disc which serves as a data recording medium such as CD, there has been a known disc changer which has a magazine mounting section in which a magazine capable of lodging therein a plurality of discs is mounted. The changer is also provided with a recording and reproducing unit for recording information on a disc and reproducing the information recorded on the disc, a disc selecting mechanism for selecting the desired disc from the plurality of discs lodged in the magazine and a disc loading mechanism for drawing the selected disc out of the magazine and loading it on the recording and reproducing unit as fundamental constituent elements.
In such a disc changer, each disc is lodged in the magazine as normally retained on a tray.
FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate an explanatory plan view and an explanatory side view showing an example of a magazine 90 to be mounted in a prior art disc changer, where no disc is shown.
As shown in these figures, trays 96 (i.e., discs) are lodged as stacked at specified intervals inside the magazine 90, and the selected disc is drawn in a direction in which the disc surfaces extend together with the tray 96 that is retaining the disc and then loaded on a recording and reproducing unit (not shown) located in a position on the right-hand side of the figures. In this case, each tray 96 is drawn rightward in FIGS. 19 and 20 against a spring force of a tray retaining spring 92 which retains the tray 96 inside the magazine 90.
In the prior art construction, each tray 96 is retained inside the magazine 90 only by the spring force of the above-mentioned tray retaining spring 92, and there is a concern that the disc and/or the tray 96 springs out of the magazine 90 when a great vibration is externally applied. Particularly, in the case of a disc changer for onboard use in a vehicle, it has abundant opportunity to receive an external vibration input, and this increases the possibility of the occurrence of the above-mentioned trouble. Furthermore, when at least the direction in which the magazine 90 is mounted substantially coincides with the direction in which each tray 96 (i.e., disc) is drawn to the recording and reproducing unit side, there is a concern that the disc and/or the tray 96 springs out of the magazine 90 in the case where the magazine 90 is forcibly inserted into the disc changer with a force greater than a certain degree or in a similar case even when there is no concern about the external vibration input.
When such a situation arises, the disc and/or the tray 96 which springs out of the magazine 90 interferes with the recording and reproducing unit, and this may cause a faulty operation, a trouble in taking out the magazine itself or another trouble.